Seattle Travel Forum

I am going to be in Seattle for a three days in mid-June and after looking at several sites I decided that I should stay downtown as I won't have a car.
This brings up two questions:
1. The hotels seem to be $125/night and up and those at the lower price don't seem to appealing. Any recommendations on a reasonably priced hotel in the downtown area?

2. What is mass transit like? It looks like I could use the bus system, like I do when visiting San Francisco. Is it pretty convenient? Or can I just walk everywhere? If so, the price of the hotel may be worth the convenience.

Any help with these questions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Frank

The transit system in Seattle is pretty convenient. Check out the website: http://transit.metrokc.gov/ They have online tools to help you get where you want to go. I think you can also get a pass onboard, or bus tickets, or somesuch. The hotels downtown, will be pricey. I stayed at a hotel near the airport and there was an express bus that took us right downtown, around 20mins. But, the website is your best bet. As for getting around right downtown, yes, most of it is quite walkable. So much to see! Have fun!

1. Maybe try the Ace Hotel downtown.

2. Yes, the bus system is good downtown. There's a free zone that covers all of the core of downtown, hop-on hop-off, but once the bus leaves downtown, then it's $1.25 per ride in non-peak times, and $1.50 in peak rush hour times. You need exact bills/coins, which you insert into the machine beside the driver. The payment is always made in in the outlying areas; in other words, if you are in an outlying area coming downtown, you pay at the beginning of the ride. If you are downtown and heading to an outlying area (such as the Seattle Center/Space Needle or airport), you pay as you get off the bus. Downtown is fairly compact, and very walkable. Somewhat similar to Sydney for walkability.

Also try the Moore. You should find quite a few reviews here on VT because it's popular with budget travelers to Seattle. Not exactly 4*, but it'll suffice for a place to sleep and shower while you explore the city during the day.
I stayed there a couple of years ago while in Seattle with no car and found the express bus to the airport as well as the free zone Downtown (which actually stops a couple of blocks from the Moore) very convenient and economical. You can walk to Belltown or the piers from there and Pike Place is relatively close. Buses to Ballard/Fremont and UW are there and you can take the monorail to Seattle Center.
And, anyway, staying Downtown with a car just adds to your costs because of the overnight parking. If you plan on doing things in the Downtown, Seattle Center and UW areas, then you really don't need a car.

In addition to the other suggestions, you might try the Green Tortoise Hostel -- if you're a hosteling kind of individual. Website is www.greentortoise.net for more info.

The downtown core of Seattle is completely walkable, all the way from Pioneer Square ('old town' Seattle) on the south end of the city center to Seattle Center on the northern end of things. Pike Place Market and a host of other attractions lie between those two endpoints.

As has been mentioned, there is a ride-free zone on the buses in case you want to rest your feet a bit. Most downtown bus stops have a sign and a map that clearly shows the limits of that zone, and the drivers will warn passengers at the last stop within the zone prior to fares being charged.

If you're not planning in checking out more outlying neighborhoods, then you shouldn't need to worry about transport much.

June is not a bad time to visit. Summer around here doesn't really start until after the 4th of July, however, so be prepared for a few drizzly days. Temps will more than likely be warmish, though, so woolies are probably unnecessary.

Fritzrl